The Local Government Association (LGA) have called for the Government to divert a fifth of the current total annual duty on alcohol to councils.
The LGA say £2 billion of alcohol duty should be directly invested in alcohol harm reduction activities that will help save money in return.
Download ‘Tackling the causes and effects of alcohol misuse' [pdf].
The call is part of a wider LGA campaign calling on the next Government to invest heavily in key local authority issues such as housing, schooling and unemployment 'by radically devolving power to local areas'. The report outlines the key ways in which local authorities can act to address alcohol misuse, but argues more resources are needed, particularly for preventative measures.
The report states that "local councils’ responsibilities for health and wellbeing boards, social care, planning and housing strategy as well as public health, environmental health, licensing and trading standards put them at the heart of the web of influences needed to tackle this complex issue".
As such, the report outlines key "activities we could develop, expand and strengthen with additional resources" to address alcohol misuse. Of course many of the activities are already undertaken through local alcohol strategies, though certainly levels of investment and coverage of alcohol services varies greatly.
The report identifies trading standards and licensing teams as key areas where more work can be done to tackle the black market, which currently costs the Treasury £1.3 billion each year. It also highlights opportunities for improving prevention including further investment in Health Checks, further services for people with inter-dependent needs, and further work with the criminal justice system to improve outcomes for offenders.
Overall the report can be seen as a call for any future Government not to forget the role that local authorities play in addressing key areas where local 'invest to save' measures can be taken. This comes at a time where significant further cuts to local government are expected, but the likelihood of seeing any mainstream manifestos commit to ring-fencing a portion of alcohol tax may be slim. As such, the future position for local authorities seeking to resource alcohol strategies may remain the same; find whatever funding from wherever you can, and hope it lasts...
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